Lotus Way’s Challenge: Addressing the Concerns of Foreigners Making Their Debut in Japan
—Um… may I have a moment of your time?
Azusa Niinuma, Founder of Lotus Way (hereafter, “Niinuma”) …Hmm? What is it?
—Thank you for your continued support! This is the Lotus Way Secretariat.
Niinuma Ah, hello! Thank you as well for your continued support.
—We are currently considering sharing information online, and I would like to make sure we cover the basics of what Lotus Way is. May I ask you a few questions?
Niinuma Of course. Please feel free to ask anything.
—Thank you very much! First, how would you describe Lotus Way’s services in one phrase?
Niinuma Well, if I had to say it in one phrase…
“What you wish existed, exists!”…To elaborate a bit more,
“Support that walks alongside foreigners facing difficulties in Japan, from daily life to employment.”
Rather than simply handling procedures on their behalf, our approach is “Let’s do this together.”
—What kind of people benefit from your services, and in what situations?
Niinuma Most commonly, we help people from Sri Lanka and Nepal. Young people in their 20s and 30s often come to us for consultation. They include international students, restaurant workers, and those on family visas.
The situations they face vary widely, but there are many common challenges, such as…
“How do I register my address?”
“I can’t get a mobile phone contract…”
“What do I need for a bank account?”
“Which hospital should I go to?”
“I want to move, but how do I communicate that…”
Everything in daily life is “their first time.”
School teachers and agents don’t provide such detailed support, so we can help when people find themselves thinking,
“I don’t know who to ask.”
—What motivated you to start this business?
Niinuma It really started with small things.
Questions like “How do I get to my part-time job today?” or
“I’m not feeling well—which hospital should I go to?”
Many of them couldn’t speak Japanese, and I wasn’t proficient in English either, so we communicated using translation apps and solved problems together.
Then word spread through word of mouth, and requests kept coming in, like
“Can you pick me up at the airport?” or
“Can you help me move?”
At the same time, I saw many people fall victim to unscrupulous businesses…
Witnessing the reality that “people in need have nowhere to turn for help,”
I decided to incorporate the company to provide proper support.
—What does the actual process look like, and what services do you provide?
Niinuma Broadly speaking, it works like this:
- We start by listening
We ask about their daily life, visa status, academic performance, employment goals, and more. - We organize necessary procedures and options
Particularly regarding assistance with creating Japanese-language documents for various procedures and clarifying employment directions.
There are often options people aren’t aware of, so we work together to identify them. - Ongoing support as we move forward together
We talk via Zoom, create documents together, help with exam registration, and address various daily life issues as they arise.
Rather than saying “Here, take care of this,” our approach is “Let’s do this together.”
—Among similar services, what sets you apart?
Niinuma I think it’s the depth of our support.
There are companies that only offer job placement services,
but there are very few that provide comprehensive support covering daily life, procedures, and employment all together.
As regulations continue to change,
“being able to explore options together that individuals might not discover on their own”
is what I believe to be Lotus Way’s greatest strength.
—What feedback have you received from those who have used your services?
Niinuma Thankfully, our services are currently spreading entirely through word of mouth.
For example,
someone I picked up at the airport is now attending vocational school and continues to consult with me about job hunting.
A couple I spoke with via Zoom told me, “Our seniors all went back home and we were anxious, but now we can see a path forward.”
Even though we haven’t done much advertising,
consultations keep coming in one after another through referrals alone.
This makes me truly happy and shows that people trust us.
—Please share a message for those considering Lotus Way.
Niinuma Japan’s systems are truly complex, and if you proceed without proper knowledge, you may suffer losses or, in the worst case, be forced to return home. However, if you understand the rules properly and follow the correct procedures, there is always a way forward.
You don’t have to struggle alone.
Lotus Way will be there to support you so you can live and work in Japan with peace of mind!
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Through this interview, what I felt was that Lotus Way is not simply a support service for foreigners, but a highly practical presence that stands alongside people who tend to fall through the cracks of the system.
For those who have just arrived in Japan, everything—from daily procedures to visas and employment—is new, and the systems are complex and constantly changing. Information often doesn’t keep up, and incorrect choices are not uncommon. In this context, Lotus Way provides both “accurate information” and “ongoing support” together, empowering individuals to move forward on their own.
The fact that consultations are spreading through word of mouth alone is proof of the trust built through their work on the ground.
So that those who wish to succeed in Japan can envision their future with confidence,
I look forward to Lotus Way’s efforts helping even more people going forward.
Ms. Niinuma, thank you very much for your time!
